


Moonlight

by Katherinexx1



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21573601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherinexx1/pseuds/Katherinexx1
Summary: Working late one evening leads to confessions.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75





	Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> @IngridDaS1013 (on Twitter) gave me this idea.  
> I hope you like it?
> 
> Thank you to Kat (@thisgir86603615 on Twitter) for your guidance and your professional view on my writing. Thank you for your beta reading and adapting!

**FBI basement office**

**January 2000**

**past 9 pm**

He stared at her, as she stood in the corner of their office in the one spot in that dark basement where you could actually see daylight. One small window, now under a clear night sky, providing just enough light to not lose one's sanity. He couldn't help himself but stare, but she was completely lost in thought. 

Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, her head slightly tilted back causing her auburn hair to fall softly over her shoulders, making it seem longer than it was. Her face was gently lit by the pale moonlight as she smiled, completely taken in by the wonders of a full moon on this cold winter night. Besides the moon, the stars sparkled against the pitch dark sky. 

They were working late that evening. Her last glance at Mulder revealed him still absorbed deeply into the archives of some lost and forgotten case, studying details no-one really cared about. She would have given up ages ago, but he just wanted to get to the bottom of it. He had promised her dinner and a drive home, any excuse to keep her there, and so she waited. 

Lately, Scully had tried to encourage him to enjoy life outside the office, but Mulder loved their little sacred space, where their roles and places were defined. After she had asked him for the fourth time to call it a night, he had nearly begged her for 5 more minutes, which turned into 2 hours. But nevertheless, she waited. Dinner with Mulder was something she secretly looked forward to, and if she was honest with herself, there was no reason to rush home to an empty apartment. 

She imagined he’d drive her home and her pulse quickened at the thought if there would be more than just a swift goodbye. Would he walk her to her door and linger, stealing another moment disguised as casual chivalry, or lean in to touch, even kiss her? Her thoughts wandered idly back to that hospital hallway on New Year's Eve, that seemingly innocent moment between them, that has been keeping her up late at night wondering. What had made him bold enough to take the plunge and close the gap between them, but then leave the kiss unacknowledged?

That moment stayed between them, and at times seemed to manifest itself in things unsaid and deeds undone, but as the days went by and opportunities passed during late movie nights and casual dinners, she sometimes mused, if she had not imagined the gentle warmth of his lips pressed against hers. Life continued, and she was not discontent, but she couldn’t help but think about Schrödinger's cat and wanting to tear the lid of the box. It left her contemplating the orbit they found themselves in, whilst looking up into the starry sky on this particular night.

As she was completely lost in thought, he was lost in contemplating her. The beauty of her, her simplicity, her fierce loyalty, the complexity of their relationship, the mysteries of Dana Scully. In the last few weeks, he’s been catching himself spending hours thinking about her when she was not with him. But in this moment she was right there, silently caught up in her own little world. It made his rambling mind wander to native legends of moon spirits, as his eyes traveled over her perfect little frame. Scully was everything a woman needed to be in Mulder's eyes. She was beautiful, honest, loyal to a fault, mysterious and intelligent. Always proving him wrong almost became a hobby of hers, and he loved her scientific ramblings and theories. Secretly he considered her sharp mind wildly sexy, her ability to still surprise him, even after all these years. It took him a while to finally realize he needed her in his life, but if he was completely honest, he fell for her the moment she introduced herself 7 years ago. 

He often thought about that one blissful moment, when he had gently pressed his lips upon hers. The softness of their joined mouths, his blood pounding in his ears, time slowing while adrenalin flooded his body. And before he could think or move, it was over, she moved away with a question in her eyes he didn’t know how to answer. Did she seem disappointed while she gently led him away after? He felt out of his depth, afraid of breaking this fragile new nameless thing between them, so he had held back after that night.. He wasn't ready to risk their friendship, their trust, and their commitment. But the possibility of _them_ ached deep inside his heart.

He sat up in his chair in, and slightly turned in her direction. She hadn't noticed that he had stopped reading the file in front of him, as he wordlessly gazed at her in the moonlight watching it pool in her eyes, reflecting her soul, softening away her sorrows and cares. 

He gently smiled to himself considering her clinical and sceptical mind, as she stood there in almost childlike wonder looking into the moonlit night. He knew she loved the moon, that's why he got her the Apollo 11 keychain for her birthday a few years ago. In a way he would like to credit himself and his entrance in her life, that Scully has been spending time to consider the cosmos and blending of Darkness and light together. Light fighting the darkness. 

Moments like this made him want to face his own darkness, for her and them, his fear and guilt that he had carried far longer than he cared to remember. He wanted to address his true feelings hidden deep within his heart. He needed her light, no, she was his light. 

"Beautiful..." he suddenly whispered while his eyes were fixated on her.

His barely audible whisper seemed to startle her back to reality. Her hand nervously brushed her hair behind her left ear as she slightly turned her head in his direction, her hand still lingering at the pulse point in her neck. The dreamlike quality of her gaze changed into a more nervous look as she caught him staring at her.

"What did you say, Mulder?" She said softly, as her eyes moved over his face trying to avoid his eyes. Her heart was starting to beat slightly faster, as an almost irrational fear pool in her center that she would read the word she just heard in his stare. Secretly she hoped he would finally make a move again. 

"I… I said... that... I think you are beautiful," Mulder slowly repeated in the same monotonous whisper as before, but his eyes spoke more than his words. He didn't hide this time. He stared at her, while he sat up in his chair. His honesty hit her pretty hard. She wasn't expecting this kind of confession from him this late Friday night. She struggled dealing with compliments like that.

She must have stared back at him with a blank face, unable to produce any decent answer. This wasn't something she was prepared for. After that one kiss, Mulder had avoided the subject, he almost acted as if it never even happened. She never quite understood why he became so distant. 

"I mean it," he said, trying to read her face and reactions. 

A slight gasp escaped from her mouth. At first she wanted to roll her eyes as a reflex on such compliments, but then again she didn't. No eyes were rolled and no "oh brother's" were heard. 

Instead, she smiled, not a weird or polite smile, a genuine sign of gratitude for his honesty.

She was proud of herself not reacting in a silly way, she didn't push him away, she allowed him to be honest with her. 

After a long and awkward silence, which Mulder weirdly seemed to enjoy, Scully turned to him. "That's…" she wanted to use the right words to make him see and know that she liked his confession. 

"...well… thank you, Mulder." She stammered nervously moving on her feet while her fingertips grazed her neck. 

He noticed how her eyelashes fluttered and how she swallowed her doubts away.

"It needed to be said," he smiled, "been hiding in the darkness for far too long now." slowly he got up and walked towards her. He seemed relaxed and confident, but inside his heartbeat was out of control.

Her face changed from a nervous grin to a bright smile and from a smile into a surprised face as he stepped into her personal space. Mulder invaded her private circle since the first moment they met. But this time it felt different. Different in a good way.

He never broke eye contact, standing only inches away from her, his fingertips brushed some lost tendrils of hair out of her face and behind her right ear. His touch was soft and his fingertips subtly lingered a little longer on her cheek. In the meantime, his eyes scanned her porcelain face and almost drowned in her steel-blue eyes. 

He gasped lightly, taking her all in. His hand snaked over her shoulder around her neck as he pulled her closer to his chest. His hands cupped her face and her arms slowly wrapped around his waist. She loved being in his arms, the safest place she could be, but the fear she felt made her hold back a bit. 

He smiled when he noticed the doubts and insecurities in her gaze. She couldn't hide from him and he didn't want to force her into anything. He didn't want to rush, now here in their office, he wanted her to know he found her beautiful. His thumb rubbed her cheek as he gently pressed his lips on her forehead before he rested his head against hers.

"The moon always brings light in the darkness," she philosophically stated as she tried to meet his gaze again. 

"That's highly philosophical coming from you, Scully!" he chuckled while his eyes glistened. 

"It's true though," she said, "It made you say things you wanted to keep in the darkness."

A sly grin formed on her face and her eyes sparkled. 

"I am glad you know one of my many secrets…" he mysteriously flirted while he moved back and held one of her hands. She shyly stared at her feet as she noticed how his fingers intertwined with hers.

"One of many…" she said softly, curious for answers he might give her and finally dared to glance briefly at him. "Mmhmm… " he nodded.

"Slowly," he whispered, "time will tell." The message was clear, he wanted her to know everything about his feelings for her, but not all at once. This evening was a start.

She smiled and silently agreed on his proposition. They had always talked in riddles and solving their mysteries was in fact the biggest challenge of them all. Scully loved being with him like this, a light flirty atmosphere feeling her body crave for more. She liked how it made her feel alive. 

"Slow is good," she whispered as he walked next to under the moonlight. His hand left hers and went straight to the small of her back, where it belonged. He smiled and he knew she felt the same. 

"Definitely a full moon tonight," Mulder said while staring up at the bright light above him and thinking about their conversation. 

Scully nodded as she joined his stare.

His thumb rubbed her spine before he moved his hand up to her shoulder. 

She leaned in briefly against him and softly sighed. "Let's call it a night, Mulder," she spoke as she glanced up, her hand patting his back softly. "You promised me dinner, remember?" She gave him a soft nudge in his side. Her smile went straight to his heart. It lifted the air in the room a bit. 

"Pizza okay?" Mulder gave her the cutest smirk ever while he wiggled his eyebrows. 

She giggled because she knew exactly what he was implying. It was already too late to go out and have dinner somewhere. It was almost past 10 pm and she wasn't in the mood anymore to do some fancy dining somewhere in the city. Take out pizza would be perfect.

"My place?" She asked him as she grabbed his car keys. 

"Movie?" Mulder answered her before he agreed on driving to her apartment.

" Way ahead of you, Mulder!" She winked as she grabbed her coat and moved toward the door. Before she went to the office earlier she stopped at the moviecenter around the corner to get a few videos to watch. She didn't really care which ones she'd brought, she was looking forward on spending the evening with him.

His hand found hers, leaving the office together into the night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave me a comment...
> 
> Hope you like it?


End file.
